Factitious disorder should not be confused with hypochondria, as people with factitious disorder syndrome do not really believe they are sick; they only want to be sick, and thus fabricate the symptoms of an illness. It is also not the same as pretending to be sick for personal benefit such as being excused from work or school. The victim of someone with Munchausen syndrome by proxy should be removed from that person’s care and provided with a medical power of attorney to oversee their medical care.

Factitious disorder imposed on self

Spears maintains her innocence and vehemently insists that she does not have Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy. Obviously, the judge thought otherwise, citing “mental illness she refuses to acknowledge.” Another theory is that Munchausen’s syndrome is an attempt to form relationships and become more socially acceptable.

Addictions/Substance Abuse

In either case, the clinician will try to direct your close one to a mental health specialist for treatment. Professionals and dear ones can both support healthy productive activities without overemphasizing symptoms and limitations. Confronting your spouse or partner, colleague, or close relative about their behavior if you suspect they are lying about a physical or mental health condition is unlikely to help.

Treatment options for Munchausen syndrome

A person with this condition will deliberately create, complain of, or exaggerate symptoms of an illness that does not really exist. Individuals with Munchausen by proxy tend to have underlying personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. Both disorders include characteristics frequently reported with the manipulative behavior of those with Munchausen by proxy. For example, borderline personality disorder features lying, unstable moods, and poor self-image, while narcissistic personality disorder manifests as a strong need for attention, admiration, and an inflated self-worth. Statistics claim that 1,000 out of every 2.5 million cases of reported child abuse are due to Munchausen by proxy. The child is directly harmed when caregivers induce symptoms through potentially fatal means—whether it is withholding food so that the child becomes malnourished or poisoning the child.

They may express inappropriate eagerness to undergo even painful or invasive tests and treatments. There are no external incentives for the behavior, which distinguishes it from malingering, where the patient is hoping to escape work or receive some benefit from the feigned illness. There are no easy answers, and, of course, Dee Dee is no longer here to shed some light on her psyche. We know, for instance, that Dee Dee was a con artist before she got Gypsy involved. Family members describe Dee Dee attempting to take out credit cards in relative’s names without permission. Police soon that the Internet Provider address linked to the alarming Facebook posts was indeed registered to Gypsy’s beau, Nicholas Godejohn, a 26-year-old who lived in Big Bend, Wisconsin.

Individuals diagnosed with this disorder are more likely to have a history of emotional or physical abuse, neglect, and/or turbulent childhoods. This upbringing can cause an unstable sense of identity and low self-esteem. Abuse may prompt a feeling of lack of control, and the person may use faked symptoms and a fabricated medical history to gain back a sense of autonomy. “With illness anxiety you really think something is wrong, but factitious disorder, you don’t think something is wrong with you,” said Morton. “You just want to get attention. You’re falsifying signs and symptoms to get attention from doctors and to get a diagnosis.” “With illness anxiety you really think something is wrong, but factitious disorder, you don’t think something is wrong with you,” said therapist Kati Morton.

What Is The Outlook (Prognosis) For Those Suffering From Factitious Disorder?

Failure to improve despite medical treatment, including relapsing for unknown reasons. If you’re harming yourself, or having thoughts about harming yourself, you should immediately contact a healthcare provider. However, it might be helpful to begin treatment as soon as you begin to have symptoms. Some individuals may put blood in their urine, inject themselves with feces, rub dirt into their IV lines, or put tight rubber bands around an arm or leg.

As an avid patient advocate living with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, she is interested in the biological processes that connect physical illness and mental health. In her spare time, she enjoys immersing herself in a good book, creating for her Etsy shop, or writing for her own blog. http://hookupgenius.com/ Reviewing the child’s medical history can indicate the problem, especially when the child is frequently hospitalized for mysterious illness without a known cause. One of the main ways a medical professional confirms Munchausen by proxy is to remove the child from their care.

TheDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders notes that this disorder is different from malingering. In cases of malingering, individuals fake illness to benefit financially, to avoid legal trouble, or for other self-protective reasons. A person may have unresolved parental issues because of this trauma. These issues may, in turn, cause the individual to fake being sick. The onset of symptoms usually occurs in early adulthood, often after hospitalization for a medical condition.

Munchausen syndrome was named after a German military man, Baron von Munchausen, who traveled around telling fantastic tales about his imaginary exploits. In 1951, Richard Asher applied the term to people traveling from hospital to hospital, making up various illnesses. Though people with a factitious disorder may feign any kind of sickness in themselves or another, cancer is one that comes up a lot. One of Feldman’s first cases of a patient with factitious disorder was a 35-year-old woman who claimed to have terminal breast cancer. It’s best to see a mental health professional instead of a physician for a proper diagnosis of factitious disorder, as it is psychological in nature. While these symptoms often do not have a medical cause, they can be symptoms of depression.While symptoms may be medically unexplained, it’s important to look into the motivation of the pains or discomfort.

Multiple personality disorders are linked with Munchausen syndrome. Individuals with disruptive personalities are prone to have unusual patterns of thoughts and this results in different psychological conditions. Consequently, the child develops a psychological condition such as Munchausen Syndrome where he or she fakes their symptoms to get attention from their parents.

Factitious disorder often includes a long medical history, yet the person may hesitate for current treatment teams to contact previous treatment teams. Many individuals who suffer from the factitious disorder have limited relationships or friendships and other forms of social interaction. Find someone with whom you can confide, share good times, and offer your own support. I found out today that a year ago I was diagnosed with this and had no idea. However, my health care has gone on regardless so I can tell you that healthcare or needs still happen. But perhaps this will make me question more what doctors are doing because I would just do whatever the doctors told me to do – why wouldn’t I?